


Something

by StrangeBlueGlow (orphan_account)



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-05-08 15:27:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5502866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/StrangeBlueGlow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marcus Vansten was beyond trying to correct people when they called him Erika, especially when it was Old Woman Josie doing it. But he was not beyond insisting that he did not have a boyfriend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something

**Author's Note:**

> For the Welcome to Night Vale Secret Santa Exchange, for azraeldigabriel

“Erika! Don’t go running off just yet, child, I’ve got something for that boyfriend of yours, too,” Old Woman Josie called out as a few of the angels filed out of her home as the holiday party wrapped up, citing Divine missions, pre-Christmas clearance sales, and other prior obligations when really none of them wanted to draw the short straw and have to clean up the last of Josie’s fruit cake.

Marcus Vansten was beyond trying to correct people when they called him Erika, especially when it was Old Woman Josie doing it. But he was not beyond insisting that he did not have a boyfriend. “Don’t know who you’re talking about, Josie. I-”

“Yes you do,” the woman interrupted, shoving a soft but well wrapped set of packages into the angel’s hands. “There’s one for that boy of his, too. Tell him Happy Holidays for me.”

There was a bit of grumbling about how Earl was definitely not his boyfriend, which was met by the sort of glare only a woman like Old Woman Josie could give, before Marcus sighed and assured her that he would, thanking her for the gifts and the party before hurrying out.

From the size and softness of the packages, Marcus could tell that they contained scarves Josie had knitted, like the one he’d gotten earlier and was wearing loosely around his neck. It went well with his sport coat - green with gold trim, chosen especially for the festive occasion - and his silken boxers - chosen to go with the sport coat, but only worn because he was going to see Earl after the party and the other man had objected to full frontal nudity around his son. He hoped that the scarves didn’t match his, because Earl was so not his boyfriend, though something in his gut told him they totally did.

A slightly awkward car ride later - Marcus was glad his chauffeur still picked him up, but the guy was always reluctant and confused as to if he should acknowledge his employer at all - he arrived outside the modest home of Earl Harlan. Tucking the packages under one arm, he walked up to the door and knocked lightly.

“Hey, glad you could make it,” Earl said as he opened the door, looking up at Marcus with a smile that made the billionaire feel like he was going melt a little bit, “come on in.” On the couch behind him, a translucent grey boy sat, his eyes glued to the Christmas movie playing on the television, until he turned to look at the doorway.

“Hi, Marcus,” Roger said, giving him a wave before returning his gaze to the television. That was really the most people generally got out of Roger, which made Marcus feel a certain warmth inside, too, although that could certainly be chalked up to someone properly acknowledging him and not to any other feelings at all.

“Hey guys,” he replied, ducking a bit and stepping through the door, giving Earl a quick kiss on the cheek while he was at it. “Josie made you two presents, or whatever,” he added with a shrug, handing the packages to Earl. 

Earl blushed when Marcus kissed his cheek, and continued to smile as he took the presents. “That was thoughtful of her. Roger and I will have to write her a thank you note. Should we open them now, or can it wait until Christmas?”

Neither Earl nor Marcus had noticed Roger get off the couch, but at some point he must have, because he was currently standing right next to both of them. “Now?” Roger asked a little bit hopefully. Even for as... unconventional… a child as Roger was, presents still had a notable draw.

Marcus couldn’t help but huff a laugh at that. “Yeah, whatever, open them now,” he said, before glancing at Earl and adding, “Uh, if that’s okay with your dad…”

“Yeah, I suppose you can open this present now. But after you open it, you’ve gotta brush your teeth and go to bed, sport. And no wandering tonight,” Earl said seriously, but there was an amused smile on his face.

Roger took the present with his name on it and made his way back to the couch, followed by Earl and Marcus in turn, each man sitting to either side of the boy. It didn’t take long for the wrapping paper to be torn and unceremoniously discarded from Roger’s gift, revealing a scarf, a bit smaller than Marcus’s, but otherwise identical in color and pattern. “Cool,” the boy said, wrapping the scarf around his neck just as Marcus’s was, to Earl’s amusement.

It was Earl’s turn then, him being much gentler with the wrapping paper, carefully undoing the tape at one end before sliding his gift out. It, too, as expected, was a scarf, larger than Roger’s but smaller than Marcus’s, and otherwise identical. “They’re very nice,” he said, wrapping the scarf around his neck to test the fit, “she really didn’t have to do this for us. I’ll be sure to get a thank you card in the mail for her, but you’ll probably see her before it gets there, so can you thank her for us?” 

“Yeah, of course,” Marcus shrugged, smiling a little bit as the boy’s attention focused on the television once more.

Earl smiled at Marcus, before turning his attention to Roger. “Roger? Roger,” he waved his hand in front of the boy’s face until he turned to look at him. “Roger, it’s time for bed. Let’s hang that scarf on the coat rack and get you tucked in.”

Roger didn’t exactly respond to that, but he did stand up, casually murmuring a “Good night, Marcus,” and headed for the coat rack, hanging up his scarf. 

Earl rose as well, shaking his head a bit. “I’m going to make sure he actually gets into bed, I’ll be right back,” he said, taking off his scarf to hang it up as well, and adding “I can take that for you.”

“Whatever,” Marcus shrugged, taking off the scarf and handing it to Earl, then draping himself over the couch while he waited the other man’s return.

Laughing lightly at the sight of an angel draped over his couch, Earl shook his head before taking a seat as best he could. “So…” he said, going for causal and not quite reaching it, “Matching scarves, huh?”

“I didn’t plan it or anything,” Marcus said quickly, although the way Earl’s face seemed to fall just a little took him a little off guard and to his surprise made him wish he hadn’t. “Josie’s nice,” he added a moment later, a little awkwardly.

“She is,” Earl agreed, nodding a bit, “she has been for as long as I can remember…”

An awkward silence stretched between the two after that, Marcus not knowing what to say and Earl not quite relaxing back against him as he usually did.

The silence finally broke with a, “What are we, exactly?” from Earl. Marcus could tell from the tone it wasn’t what he had meant to say. It came out like it was meant to be a “Can I get you a drink?” or a “Do you want to watch a movie on Hallmark? They’re having a marathon.” and the way Earl tensed up even more after he said it made it all the more obvious it had just slipped out.

“That’s a really good question,” Marcus finally settled on answering after a thoughtful moment of silence.

Earl swallowed hard at that. “And that’s a really good way to dodge the question.”

He had him there. There was another moment of silence. “I don’t know,” Marcus admitted.

“Then.. what do you want us to be?” The question was intentional this time, spoken delicately, with just a little hope behind it. 

Hope, like Angels and fire and that moment in the kitchen when you know you pulled your fingers back because you have good knife skills but what if this time you didn’t you wonder as the knife comes slamming down to make the initial cut possibly into your own flesh, was a terrifying thing.

“I don’t know,” Marcus said again, softer this time, almost sadder.

Earl barely managed his reply, a single syllable getting half caught in his throat before he eventually managed, “Oh.”

That left Marcus mentally scrambling for something to say, anything to fix the way he was pretty sure he made Earl feel. And that meant something, didn’t it. Caring about how Earl felt? “I don’t want us to not be anything,” he said quickly, “We’re… something. I just don’t know what. I’m not a something guy, historically speaking. I’m a complete person; I’ve never needed something. But a something is still nice. I like this something. I never expected it, but this something is a something I definitely like -”

As Marcus rambled, Earl was briefly confused, and then amused, and then… it clicked. Oh, Marcus definitely had feelings. He obviously wasn’t good at articulating them, and Earl couldn’t be sure that they were the same as the ones he had, but… there were feelings there, and that was as good a start as any. 

Marcus’s ramblings were cut short with a kiss. It was gentle, and sweet, and the way Marcus returned it, after a moment of surprise, said what he was getting at much better than any words he could have managed.

“Yeah, that… that about covers it,” Marcus said once the kiss broke, causing Earl to laugh and lay back against him to press his face into Marcus’s shoulder.

“I think I’m okay with being ‘something’ for now,” Earl assured once he’d composed himself, pulling back a bit and giving Marcus another quick kiss. “We’re a something. A something with matching handmade scarves. A something that watches Hallmark movies on the couch until I’m sure Roger’s asleep for the night?”

Marcus chuckled a little bit and nodded, shifting a bit so both he and Earl were lying comfortably on the couch together. “Yeah, that kind of something,” he agreed, “I’m... really okay that kind of something.”


End file.
